SE2000037A1 - A tool support adapted to fit/hold a sterile cover for machinery - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention regards a modular utilized tool support (10), adapted to attach a mechanical male l-shaped receptor (19, 20, 21, 22), with a C-shaped engagement space (30) for sterile draping/covering (40) of devices. A as mechanical male l-shaped receptor (19, 20, 21, 22), is to engage with a sterile draping/covering (40) and the female receptor (30, 38) in between, partitioned into a stationary part (16, 19), and at least one flexible part (20). The flexible part (20) has a spring action, making up a snap clutch (19, 21, 20, 22), adapted to lock and release the flexible part (20) to the female receptor part (30, 38), through the snap clutch movable parts (20, 21, 22) when put into or released from pressure.

Description

Title A tool support adapted to fit/hold a sterile cover for machinery Technical field The present invention pertains to a modular utilized tool support adapted to attacha mechanical female receptor, with an engagement space for sterile draping/covering ofdevices.

Background art There is a request for keeping devices/machinery/surgery robots, and the likesterile in environments such as theatre rooms in hospitals, Iaboratories, and others. As anexample, a theatre room for surgery in a hospital during preparations for surgery and surgeryitself, the machinery utilized, is moved to many departments/places or is situated stationary.Nevertheless, a patient must be protected from germs, bacteria, and like hazards in theseenvironments, not to be spread. For instance, nosocomial infection is a common disease thatis very hard to combat.

Currently, a surgeon draping/covering machinery, with for instance a sterile plasticcover, utilizes for instance a scalpel to poke/punch/puncture a hole in the drapery utilized forgerm protection, to allow a surgery tool to protrude out of the drapery to engage into apatient, and covering the machinery or at least parts of it. This is a very harsh procedure, asthe hole made with the scalpel is prone to an air inlet/outlet, inviting gerrns to be spreadtowards a patient. Moreover, during a long-term utilization of the machinery, it wil becontaminated.

Moreover, currently different theatres provide surgical tools/instruments, whichmanly differ in size/diameter. Hence, it would be appreciated with a module support toolfitting different hospital tool set.

Summary of the invention lt's one aim of the present invention to solve problems, mentioned above, andothers known to a person skilled in the art.

Hence, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it regards a modularutilized tool support adapted to attach a mechanical female receptor with an engagementspace for sterile draping/covering of devices or parts of them. Constructed as a mechanicalmale shaped receptor, to engage with a sterile draping/cover and the female receptor,partitioned into a stationary part, and at least one flexible part. The flexible part has a springaction, making up a snap clutch, adapted to lock and release the flexible part to the femalereceptor part, through the snap clutch back and forth moving parts, when put into or releasedfrom pressure.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a tool support, having anadjustment means for the thickness of a sterile draping/cover placed to be locked betweenthe snap clutch, and the female receptor.

A further embodiment provides a locking/release leveller, engaging a cam torest against the at least one flexlble part.

Moreover, the present invention provides the utilization of a modular toolsupport adapted for surgery.

Brief description of the drawings Henceforth reference is had to the attached drawings in the accompanying textof the description, for a better understanding of the present invention, with its embodimentsand given examples, wherein: Fig. 1 illustrates a tool support/bracket according to one embodiment of thepresent invention; and Fig. 2 schematically depicts a module utilization of the tool support inaccordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments Currently, a surgeon draping/covering a machinery, with for instance a sterileplastic cover, utilizes, a scalpel, if not a pen, to poke/punch/puncture a hole in the draperyutilized for germ protection, to allow a surgery tool to protrude out of the drapery to engageinto a patient, and covering the machinery. This is a very harsh procedure, as the hole madewith the scalpel is prone to an air outlet/inlet, inviting germs to enter inside/outside thedraping cover. Moreover, during a long-term utilization of the machinery, it wil becontaminated. Hence, the present invention presents a tool support/bracket, where no holesare punched in the draping/covering. lt also provides a utilization of the modular tool support in hospital theaters,attached to a robot arm.

The present invention relates to a tool support/bracket adapted to be utilized ina sterile environment as it has been elaborated in the former text of this description, and byfurther examples, and embodiments described in the below text. Given are non-limitedversions of the present invention. Hence, the following description is headed to a descriptionof the mechanical parts and its functioning, of the sterile cover support tool in accordancewith the present invention, through Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, with their depicted reference numerals, Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a tool support 10, according to one exampleof the present invention. Hence, it comprises guiding pins 12, and screws/bolts 14, toassembly mechanical parts, as known to a person skilled in the art, thus no further commonmechanical assembly means will be described. Depicted as reference numeral 16, in Fig. 1is the mechanical body part/bracket that is attached to the machinery, for instance a robot arm, not shown, for surgery in a tissue/bone structure of human beings, and animals toperform a sterile surgery according to one example of the present invention.

The clutch parts 19, 20, 22 act as mechanical male receptors, whenconnected/snapped in to the handle in Fig. 2. Pins 21 equipped with mechanical springs,which are known to a person skilled in the present art, not shown. lt's appreciated that thespring feature is one out of many possible, it may be made of any elastic material, thus thespring described herein is only one of many possible functioning springs. Clacks 20 arethrough spring action moving back and forth when put into or released from pressure, and fitinto the stationary part 18 when assembled. The l-shaped clacks 19, 20 are rounded 22 to fitinto a female connection 30, 38, shown in Fig. 2.

A stationary part 18 shaped as clacks 19, not moving when engaged, makingup a part of an l-shaped snap clutch 10, 18,19, 20, with spring acting features not shown,being attached to the support tool 16, 18 on the pins 21. The Ieveler 24 is utilized tolock/release the clutch 10 in the c-shaped space 30, and when utilized a tool handle 32 withits properties for invasive surgery on human/animal tissue/bone, as depicted in Fig. 2 32, 34,36, 38 is utilized. A locking cam 26 front flattened surface engages the clacks 20 to lock theclutch 10 to the handle female receptor on the clutch 10 in the space 30. The tool support 10,as described, comprises a locking/release Ieveler 24, engaging the cam 26 to rest against,the at least one flexible body part 20, in this example two flexible body parts 20. ln Fig. 1, an adjusting means 29 is shown, here a screw, operating on thelocking means 26, to adjust a sterile draping/covering, such as a plastic sheet/cover 40, Fig.2, or fabric paper and the like known to a person skilled in the art. The adjusting screwadjusts the tool support 10 with a clutch to the thickness of the draping/covering 40, thustuning the clutch to a good pressure on the draping/covering 40 placed between the space30 on the handle 32 , and the clutch to cover a device utilized in a sterile environment, in thisexample a robot, used to perform surgery on human/animal bone structures, but not limitedto a robot as a device. Also, other life adding equipment such as heart and lung machines,measuring equipment such as for pulse and blood pressure measuring, and the like known toa person skilled in the art, may be considered.

Now reference is had to Fig. 2, with its schematically illustrated utilization of atool support system in accordance with the present invention. Nota bene that utilizedreference numerals comply with those in Fig. 1.

Depicted in Fig. 2 is the handle 32 equipped with an adapter 36, showing thefemale receptor 30 inner space, utilized to attach tools for surgery such as a trocar, drill,knife, puncher, and others known to a person skilled in the art. Moreover, depicted is a C-shaped receptor 38 for tools to be attached to the handle 32 shaft. lt's appreciated that the l-shaped body part 34 can be a connector/receptor of its own, if a handle shaft 32, 36 isn't needed or in use. Thus, tools or other equipment can be attached through the I-shapedreceptor 34 in Fig. 2.The adapter 37 construed as a sleeve is custom made, to fit differenthospitals tool sets 46 regarding the inner diameter of the sleeve 37 being smaller than theinner diameter of the sleeve 36. The tool set is not a part of the present invention.Furthermore, depicted in Fig. 2. Are different C-shaped receptors 38 to fitcameras 44, 3D scanning equipment 48, x-ray robot C-arms, and other devices utilized in ahospital theater known to a person skilled in the art.Hence, the utilization of the present invention comprises a mechanical maleshaped receptor/clutch 10, to engage with the female receptor 30, 38, partitioned into astationary part 16, 19, and at least one flexible part 20. The flexible part 20 has a springaction, making up a snap clutch 10, 19, 21, 20, 22, adapted to lock and release the flexiblepart 20 to the female receptor part 30, 38. Hereby, the snap clutch has a back and forthmovement, with at least one movable part 20, 21, 22, when put into or released frompressure. Moreover, the female receptor 38 is equipped with modular brackets 39 forattachment of auxiliary equipment 44, 48.The present invention is not restricted to the examples and given embodiments presented above. A person skilled in the art can derive further possible embodiments by theattached set of claims.

Claims (1)

Claims:

1. A modular tool support (10) adapted to attach a mechanical femalec-shaped receptor (38), with an engagement space (30) for a sterile draping (40) of devices,characterized by having a: mechanical male shaped receptor, to engage with said sterile draping/covering(40), and said female receptor (38), partitioned into a stationary part (16, 19), and at leastone flexible movable part (20), said at least one flexible part (20) having a spring action,through spring means attached to it, making up a snap clutch (19, 20, 21, 22), adapted tolock and release said flexible movable part (20) to said female receptor part (38), said snapclutch having a back and forth movement when inserted into a female receptor (38) throughsaid spring means, when put into or released from pressure; comprising an adjustment means (22, 24, 25, 26) for the thickness of a steriledraping (40) placed to be locked between said snap clutch (19, 20, 21, 22)) and said femalereceptor (38); a looking and release leveller (24), engaging a cam (26) to lock the clutch (19,20, 21, 22), and said cam (26) pushing said sterile draping by said leveller (24) to be locked insaid space (30) with the thickness of said draping (40), whereby adjusting means (25) istuning said leveller (24) and cam (26) to stay adjusted to the thickness of said draping (40).